If I had a dollar for every time I persuaded a girl of 8 or 9 that they were not, in fact, fat, I'd be considerably richer. When my older daughter was about that age, their mothers were putting a lot of her friends on diets. It drove me absolutely crazy to see these poor little girls, worrying about their "tummies" or "fat" that wasn't even evident, except to a mother who was h...

As the father of a toddler, I am an expert on dirty diapers. I know exactly what to do with them: throw them out!But along comes a New York waste company and a town in California who want me to do something else with my dirty diapers. Like cover my roof with them. Or walk on them. Or build a doghouse with them, perhaps.Does this sound nuts? Well, it's not. In fact, this project just ...

For any parent, learning that a convicted sex offender lives on the same block, can be a chilling discovery. The thought of it alone, can be disturbing. Most parents can't imagine that someone, who could be so potentially dangerous, may live somewhere on their block or along the path their child takes to school. However, it is highly likely that there are registered sex offenders in your neighborh...

I've often thought that in 6 million years, archaeologists will marvel at the devotion the 21st century Earthlings had to their household gods. Excavation will show these deities in virtually every home, obviously objects of devotion, the focal point in a room. The gods were believed without question. Families emulated them, discussed them, and scheduled their lives around them. The parent was sec...

So, the thing is? I am feeling a little guilty.I know, I know, what's new? I'm like the travel agent for guilt trips. Right now I'm feeling a little guilty because I am so madly in love with my little Smiley Jane, who turns two-years-old today. I mean, REALLY crazy about her. I can't keep my hands off of her. Her smile just lights up my whole world and that laugh-gosh, if I could bottle tha...

1. You reheated the same cup of coffee three times this morning.2. There is always one more person in your bed in the morning, than there was the night before.3. You can't imagine life without the Cartoon Network.4. The lock on your bathroom door is purely for decoration? After all, no locked door could withstand, "Mom? What are you doing? Mom? Can I come in? Mom? Can I s...

Finding out that a child has been born with a disability, or that a previously healthy child has suffered an injury or disease that causes a disability can be the most traumatic moment in a parent's life. Shock is usually the first thing people experience. It can temporarily paralyze you, preventing you from taking action, or even making rational decisions. In this difficult first period it is alw...

The ADD child exhibits a series of behaviors that are common in most children. Most children misbehave, act silly and day dream. So what, then, is the difference? The child with Attention Deficit Disorder exhibits these behaviors in a constant and extreme manner, often interfering with their academic, social and family interactions.Here are the variety of ways that a child may exhibit ADD b...

Family meetings provide opportunities for feelings to be aired and validated. They also allow younger children to feel they are an important part of the decision-making process when it comes to family vacations and other major and minor family functions.Before the first meeting commences, set a few ground rules such as:Speak in a calm tone.Avoid name-calling...

It's back to school time again. Does the thought of having to get everyone organized and out the door make you want to send for boarding school brochures? Here are a few tips to help get through that back to school daze.Making Merry Mornings:The biggest cause of whining and tantrums in the morning is a sleepy child trying to make a decision. Eliminate the choices along with the grump...

I am in pain. I've been in pain all day. Last night, I was in "searing pain", which is pain multiplied by pain, divided by relief, then multiplied by pain to the tenth power. In case you are not a math whiz, that equals pain with 33 zeros after it. Two days ago, I was in pain (just regular pain, no zeros). In fact, I was in pain all week.Welcome to my humor column.Actually, pain is n...

There are few thoughts as terrifying as the abduction of your young child by a stranger. The fear causes parents to think long and hard about their children's safety. They tell them in a very clear voice, "Do not to talk to strangers."The problem is though, that a child's view of a stranger is very different from a parent's view. From the child's perspective, because a stranger is...

By not planning for the future we guarantee that we will leave our children with a tremendous burden. Just about the time they are preparing for their own retirement and their children's college education, adult children often are overwhelmed with decision-making for their aging parents.As a long term care administrator I heard it daily, "I don't want to be a burden to my children.&quo...

Annie easily slipped into becoming the sole caregiver of her parents. What started out as monthly grocery shopping for them, over the course of 2 years became a full time duty, an overwhelming burden and just about broke her emotionally and financially.They say that it's good that primary caregivers don't know what to expect or they would not enter into the situation. That is only true if t...

Just a couple of years ago Annie helped her parents get the washer & dryer moved from the basement to a bedroom on the first floor after her mom missed the last step & broke her toe. Annie reassured them that she would make sure they would stay in their own home no matter what. Before she knew it she was fixing every supper for them at their home, taking care of the yard and cleaning the house on ...

Anyone can splurge on a formal dinner or a pricey bottle of perfume, but it takes creativity and forethought to be truly romantic.The key lies in personalizing your celebration. Here are ten ideas to fuel your own creativity:1. Empty a box of chocolates. Then cut out 50 to 100 hearts from lace doilies, construction paper, or fabric. On each cutout, record something about your mate th...

There are software programs that you can purchase to keep your children from accessing undesirable websites. There are two good ones, Cyber Patrol and Net Nanny.There is also software that will create a log of all the sites that have been visited by your PC. It allows you to check on the sites your children are visiting.You can also use your History Button on your web browser....

It was the homework that did it. Each night became a challenge in how I was going to get my son, a non-academic, to do his homework. I tried patience, encouragement, and teaching, all to no avail. I moved on to bribery, threats and punishment, still no success. Finally I tried anger, frustration and tears, but still no joy. At the end of my tether I knew it was time for a change.Looking bac...

There is a front line and a back end to every successful war effort. Rosie the Riveter was an icon during World War II and she was symbolic of the strong American woman who took command of the US economy and war manufacturing; without her there would have been no Allied victory.We are once again embroiled in a bitter war and just like those times in the 1940s, the time of ending is uncertai...

Kids today no longer live the kind of privileged lives that we used to live as kids. This, I am absolutely sure of?.if there's nothing else in this world that I am confident about. Kids live such stressed lifestyles now that I feel that it's not even worth being a kid anymore and in fact, I'd rather be an adult, if I had a choice. Kids between the ages babies to 4 years old and during the preadole...

One fantastic way to get your children involved in what they are eating, is to have them help. A great way to start is to let them make up their lunch for the next day. Obviously you will need to set some guidelines. For example, when I turned 9 I was allowed to make up my own lunch. In my girlfriends' houses they were 10 and in some others 11. However, we all felt very important and grown up that...

Along with eating healthier we need to be more active. The two go hand in hand. Healthy eating + physical activity = a healthier mind and body.You will need to be a good role model for your children. Don't look for the closest parking space. Take the stairs, rather than the elevator or escalator. If your children have bicycles and it is safe, rather than driving them everywhere, tell them t...

The subject of competition is one that provokes some pretty strong feelings in the United States. In fact, even hinting that competition might not be such a great thing can cause one to be labeled un-American.The prevailing belief is that competition is good for everyone ? that someone without a strong competitive nature is just a wimp. That being competitive is human nature and to be nonco...

Single parents are not often thought of as good parents.I became acutely aware of this fact when my children were young and I was dealing with the challenges of being a single mom. An "expert" told me that the increase in the number of dysfunctional families was directly related to the increasing number of single-parent families. The statistics proved it.I was taken aback. I h...

I thought I was the only one in the world with a whiny 5-year-old. All the other 5-year-olds that I know of are either well-behaved or are total monsters! My elder child is a cross between the two ? most times he's well-behaved and sometimes a total monster. And when he's a monster, mommy turns into an uglier one (blushing in embarrassment).I don't want this to sound like a "Dear Thelm...

OK, moms and dads out there, we hear you when you say, my children won't eat healthy foods. If we even say the word, they tune out and already decide they don't like it. Well, my first response to this is "who is running the house, you or the kids". If you say the kids, you have more problems than I can help you with. Put your foot down, you and your husband, spouse, significant other, (...

If your parenting methods include abuse of any kind; physical, sexual, emotional or verbal, please get help to stop as soon as possible. Adults are supposed to safeguard and protect the young among us. You may be repeating patterns learned in your family of origin or not know any other methods of parenting.I have included a number of different approaches to discipline that won't damage the ...

If your parenting methods include abuse of any kind; physical, sexual, emotional or verbal, please get help to stop as soon as possible. Adults are supposed to safeguard and protect the young among us. You may be repeating patterns learned in your family of origin or not know any other methods of parenting.I have included a number of different approaches to discipline that won't damage the ...

Why Is Spending Time with Your Child So Important?For children to get any sense that they are loved and wanted, you have to be prepared to spend some time with them. I know you are all thinking, so tell me something I don't know. My point in all of this is how important this really is. The term "spending time with your child" gets tossed out there fairly casually. We hear it so of...

Drivers 16 years of age have little driving experience, putting them at high risk for traffic accidents. A series of five research papers published in a September 2002 supplement of Injury Prevention addresses reducing this risk. The papers introduce and make a case for graduated driver licensing (GDL), the system of laws and practices that gradually introduce young drivers into the driving popula...